Archive
Friends,
below are some great events coming up at the Book Smith at 1644 Haight St. between Clayton & Cole (863-8688)
Wednesday, March 21
7:30 PM
THOMAS CHRISTENSEN
1616: The World in Motion
For some, 1616 stands out as the year Shakespeare and Cervantes died. And, while it did mark the end of an era of literature, it also marked the beginnings of a new, globalized world in which America was for the first time directly connected to Europe, Africa, and Asia. 1616: The World in Motion reveals the surprising degree of movement that took place, and the remarkable interconnectivity of distant places and cultures during this time. These connections were responsible for altering the course of humanity in ways that affect us to this day.
In his newest book, Thomas Christensen presents riveting stories and stunning color images that define what sets this year apart from the rest. From witch-hunts, astronomy, and alchemy, to the global trade of silk, silver, and slaves, Christensen presents a panoramic and colorful glimpse into a year that changed our world forever.
“A brimmingly generous intellectual feast, lavishly curated by Mr. Christensen—on every page a fresh marvel—the catalog, as it were, of a show just asking to be mounted, and the Show of the Year at that.” -- Lawrence Weschler, Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder
Thomas Christensen’s previous books include New World/New Words: Recent Writing from the Americas, and the best-selling translation (with Carol Christensen) of Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate. He is Director of Creative Services at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.
Before Downton Abbey, There was Poldark!
Thursday, March 22
7:30 PM
ROBIN ELLIS
DELICIOUS DISHES FOR DIABETICS
Downton Abbey is what millions of us have avidly, passionately watched recently. Another classic British series that captivated us thirty-five years ago was the spellbinding Poldark. Its star Robin Ellis is known worldwide for his role as Captain Ross Poldark. Theatre and film haven’t been his only passions: his life-long passion for cooking has undergone some fabulous changes since his diagnosis of Type-2 diabetes.
Robin explains the strategic changes he has had to make in what he eats and how he prepares food – the result is a food-lover’s guide to eating well with diabetes. His cookbook, based on Mediterranean cuisine, offers superb recipes for satisfying dishes like Lamb Tagine, Roast Quail in Balsamic Vinaigrette, Red Peppers Stuffed with Tomato and Goat Cheese, and Chick Peas with Tomato Sauce and Spinach.
Not only does Delicious Dishes show us how to eat well, Robin also suggests how to improve your day-to-day health. With simple daily walks and a revamped eating style, he’s managed his condition without medication for over six years – and he says he if can do it, so can you!
Robin Ellis is a British actor best known for playing the swashbuckling lead in the BBC series Poldark, based on the novels of Winston Graham. (It was voted by Masterpiece Theatre fans as one of the top 10 costume dramas of all time!) He has appeared in many other classic TV series and had a long career in British theatre, including a stint with the Royal Shakespeare Company. His most recent role was in the original Swedish version of the detective series Wallander. He also starred in the Merchant Ivory film The Europeans and can been seen in Fawlty Towers, The Good Soldier (based on the Ford Madox Ford novel) and Elizabeth R.
He now lives in Southwestern France with his American wife (a Stanford grad!) and a menagerie of animals.
Monday, March 26
7:00 PM
Christin & Praveen invite you to join them in a special Booksmith celebration and community dialogue
The debate rages on. Is there a future for brick & mortar bookstores in the digital age?
It’s not a new debate, but the latest salvos were fired by Salon writer Farhad Manjoo who wrote the obituary of bookstores the same week Amazon offered an incentive for people to walk into stores and use a price checking app to compare prices and then shop online. Bookstore lovers fired back. Richard Russo wrote an op-ed in The New York Times denouncing Amazon’s moves and Ann Patchett matched Stephen Colbert wit for wit on why she started a bookstore.
It’s a debate we have lived & breathed every day of the last five years when we quit our corporate jobs, followed our instincts, and assumed the reins at The Booksmith as the new owners. We have a lot to celebrate and we invite you to join us for the celebration. We have a lot to discuss and we invite you for a community dialogue.
Please join us to celebrate 35 years of Booksmith, 5 years of new ownership, success, growth, survival, spirit of innovation and forward thinking. Please join us to celebrate our feisty booksellers, our supportive customers, our local writer friends, and our publishing partners. Please join us to celebrate the completion of talented Sean Chiki’s artwork around the store that has helped make your bookstore the “Best Reimagined Bookstore” in San Francisco.
We will share specifics of how things are going behind the scenes at your bookstore. What are our plans for a future likely to be dominated by instantly downloadable e-books and free e-readers? What role do we see for Booksmith in this future? What opportunities and challenges do we face? We would love for you to join us and tell us what you think. How’s the new Booksmith working for you? What are we doing well? Where would you like to see us improve? We have a lot to talk about.
And we’ll have very good things to eat and drink.
-- Christin and Praveen
Monday, April 2
7:30 PM
Passionate for Poetry!
You Share, We Share Favorite Poems
in celebration of National Poetry Month
You've got a favorite poem -- we know you do! This evening is dedicated to sharing one poem -- the one with the most significance for you, the one that blows you away every time.Bring a poem of your choice -- by someone else, not you, no longer than one page.
Be prepared to tell why you chose it, in two to three sentences.
Everyone wishing to share poems this evening will be given a number on arrival; numbers will be randomly drawn and we'll strive to have all who want to speak do so within a 90-minute span.
Guest host Pireeni Sundarlingam has held national fellowships both in cognitive science and in poetry. She is co-editor of Indivisible: An Anthology of Contemporary South Asian American Poetry, winner of both the 2011 N. California Book Award and the PEN Oakland 2011 National Book Award. Her own poetry has been published in journals such as Ploughshares and The Progressive, and in a variety of anthologies Sundaralingam has spoken on the intersections between poetry and the brain at MOMA (New York), the deYoung Fine Arts Museum, and the Exploratorium. She’s just returned from a fellowship in cross-disciplinary thinking in Berlin.
Tuesday, April 3
7:30 PM
MICHAEL TUCKER with Jill Eikenberry
AFTER ANNIE
Michael Tucker’s debut novel, After Annie is a hilarious and beautifully rendered tale about a man off the rails, battling through the middle-aged wilderness days he hoped never to face alone.
Best known for his work on the Emmy-award winning television series L.A. Law, Michael Tucker is a veteran actor and author of three previous nonfiction works. In his first work of fiction, Tucker proves to be shrewd observer of human nature, as he introduces New York actor Herbie Aaron, whose universal failings he scrutinizes with a comic eye and a compassionate heart.
When his wife Annie dies suddenly from cancer, Herbie is faced with a new role – a third act - for which he is totally unprepared. Like a great theater ensemble, After Annie is filled with memorable portraits: Olive, a beautiful bartender who just might be a great actress; Candy, Herbie’s neurotic and troubled daughter; and a wise woman named Billy, a tough-talking golf pro who teaches Herbie more about his psyche than about his lousy swing. From the streets and stages of New York to the golf courses of Myrtle Beach, Herbie’s journey to find a new start after Annie is filled with unexpected moments of beauty and wisdom, pathos and humor.
“With an acerbic, sarcastic bite and a depth of honesty rare in most first novels, After Annie is a refreshing, heartwarming, and introspective read.” — Booklist
A veteran stage, film and television actor, Michael Tucker is perhaps best known for his role as Stuart Markowitz in L.A. Law. His 8-year stint on the phenomally popular drama brought him three Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations. Michael’s film credits include Woody Allen’s Radio Days and The Purple Rose of Cairo, Diner, Tin Men, An Unmarried Woman, The Eyes of Laura Mars, Network, and For Love or Money. He received the Good Guys Award from the National Women’s Political Caucus for his work on women’s health issues. Tucker’s first book I Never Forget a Meal: An Indulgent Reminiscence is part memoir, part cookbook. His second book, Living in a Foreign Language, chronicles his experience, with his wife Jill Eikenberry, as homeowners in the Italian countryside. His third book, Family Meals, is an acclaimed food memoir.
Wednesday, April 4
7:30 PM
MARY ALBANESE
MIDNIGHT SUN, ARCTIC MOON:
Mapping the Wild Heart of Alaska
In 1981, Mary Albanese left the comfort of Buttercup Farm in upstate New York, where she grew up, the tomboy sister, the second of three girls with one brother on the end. She began the adventure of a lifetime to become a geological explorer in Alaska, where she maps remote wilderness areas and journeys to the depths of her own heart.
Mary Albanese tells her own engaging story, one full of rich and eccentric characters with human failings. Its remote landscape reveals the courage and sacrifice her “family” of visionary explorers, framed against the background of Alaska’s raw beauty, with humor, grace, and an abiding respect for America’s last frontier.
Framed against the backdrop of Alaska’s raw beauty, it is an inspiring story of
achievement and hope, told with gentle humor, compassionate grace, and abiding respect for America’s last frontier.
Mary Albanese is an author, artist, and scriptwriter. She lives in England.